Banish Blemishes with Holistic Vanity Acne Care Line

My skin sucks lately. Like, worse than when I was a teenager sucks. After years of having clear skin (with a minor breakout or two here and there) my skin has turned against me. I don’t know if it’s some weird combination of late-20’s hormones and being too lazy to wash my makeup off every night (don’t judge me) or what. Whatever’s causing it, I’m not happy about it. I’m 27 years old for gods sake, I should be worrying about anti-aging not acne! (That’s a myth, I know that’s a myth but I was hoping it might turn out to be true.)

To add to the fun, it turns out that adult acne isn’t the same as teenage acne. Nope, it’s much harder to control and get rid of. Awesome. Luckily, there are some new brands popping up that are aiming to target adult acne and save those of us who are either still suffering or suffering again. Holistic Vanity is one of those such brands and they’ve just introduced their new Acne Care Lineto compliment their other amazing Holistic, Organic and All-Natural Canadian skin care products!

Good skin starts with a good cleanser. I’m a double-cleanse kinda gal so I always use something to remove my makeup then another cleanser to get my skin really clean. Lately, I’ve been using Good Things Argan Oil Nourishing Cleansing Oil (which is a UK brand I found at Winners) to remove all my makeup and then following up with this creamy – but deeply cleansing – face wash. It contains a super gentle oat derived cleansing agent to leave your skin feeling clean but not stripped, Aloe for hydration and Black Mud (which clearly isn’t actually black!) to deep clean and provide an antimicrobial effect. On top of that it has Turmeric oil, which provides a super dose of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties as well as Jojoba Oil and Shea butter to keep your skin from becoming dry.

I find that most “acne” cleansers are much, muchtoo drying for my skin (or most people’s skin for that matter!). It’s a common misconception that if you have acne, you need to dry it out, when it fact this can make it worse. This cleanser is completely different than anything I’ve ever tried. It’s in between a gel and a cream cleanser and it leaves your skin incredibly clean but still well nourished! Remember, healthy skin is more able to fight off bacteria so keeping your skin moisturized is essential!

Let me just start out by saying anything with the word “tonic” in it scares me. When I think of “tonics” I think of alcohol based, super drying, astringent type toners and are going to leave my skin feeling tight and itchy. Luckily, Holistic Vanity is changing how we think about Tonics and has given them new life!

This liquid toner is made up of only 2 ingredients, Pine Hydrosol and Mint Hydrosol. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “Hydrosol” it’s essentially the water extracted from certain plants, in this case, from Pine and Peppermint. They use a steam-distillation method to remove the water from the plant and create super potent tonic blends to fight anything from acne to anti-aging. Even though this doesn’t contain any alcohol, I was still worried it would dry out my skin (I don’t know why, it’s pretty much water). Well, it didn’t. This is like an invisible, anti-bacterial step that leaves no feeling or moisture on the skin, so it would be great for those with oily skin as well.

I use this by pumping 2 pumps into my hands, rubbing them together and slapping them on my face. I press it in until it’s sufficiently absorbed and then move on to my next step. This has single-handedly got me into using a toner again! I ave a really hard time finding toners that I like but this is definitely effective and wonderful to use.

I know if you suffer with oily skin you’re freaking out already. “OIL?! In an acne care line? What the…” Relax. Let me explain.

As I mentioned briefly in the cleanser section, it’s absolutely essential to keep your skin healthy when you have acne (well, anytime but especially when you have acne). Why you ask? Well, if you use harsh products like alcohols, drying cleansers or harsh acne treatments with lots of benzoyl peroxide your skins barrier will start to break down. When your skins barrier breaks down, it creates microscopic cracks in your skin which makes it easier for bacteria to get in and create acne. Keeping your lipid barrier hydrated and intact can help ensure that bacteria stay out and your skin stays clear.

Since your skin barrier is mostly made up of lipids (fats) it needs to be up-kept with lipids, which are almost always in oil form. Many oils also have clarifying properties (like Black Cumin Oil) and are anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and sebum controlling. This oil is made up of only Black Cumin Seed and Babassu, which makes it a better suit for more sensitive skin types. If there’s one oil you’re going to try on your face, make it this one! It’s hydrating, but fast absorbing and you will see a significant difference in the texture and tone of your skin.

This could quite possibly be my favourite product in the line (but not by much, I clearly love them all)! It’s a super lightweight, fast absorbing lotion that leaves a matte but moisturized finish to the skin. It contains the same Black Mud as the Cleanser to provide minerals to the skin as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Babassu Oil for intense hydration, Turmeric for advanced anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and Safflower Oleosomes for time-released, long-lasting moisturization.

Since this lotion has a matte finish, it makes an amazing base for makeup! I use it pretty much every morning after I’ve applied my toner and before I apply my sunscreen (sometimes I just mix them together to save time). I also like to use this at night if I’m feeling extra oily or broken out and I just want something light and refreshing. If there was only one thing from the line I would recommend it would be this outstanding moisturizer, but if I’m allowed to recommend more, I recommend it all!

A few extra pluses, at least for me, are that all these bottles come with pumps and are pretty massive in my opinion! 100ml = 3.3oz. Go check your $40 moisturizer and tell me how big it is. 1oz? 1.7oz? While this lotion may seem pricy, it’s actually quite inexpensive for the amount and the amazing ingredients you’re getting. Plus, it’s Canadian and I always want to support Canadian brands!

Overall, love! Love, love, love!! When I use these products properly (ie. washing my makeup off before bed…) they leave my skin super moist, but clear and feeling refreshed. Nothing feels heavy or greasy and they are perfect for hot summer months! In the winter I will have to add a more hydrating moisturizer since I tend to get quite dry but these will still be part of my base routine to keep my skin clear all year round!

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Shaylee Austin

Hi + Welcome to a not so typical Beauty Blog! Here, I don't focus on dramatic eyes or bold lips (although I do love those too) but my true passion lies in healthy glowing skin, Green Beauty and creating an undetectable and perfect makeup base. If you want to learn about super effective skin care and amazing base makeup - you're in the right place!